Improvement in knob-latches



ZSheets-Sheet 1. C. S. JENNINGS.

KNOB-LATCH. No.185,752, Patented Dec.26, 1876.

2 She'Ets-Sheet 2. C. s. JENNINGS. KNOB-LATCH. No.185,75Z. Patented Dec. 26, 1876..

THE MHIC C0.N.Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. JENNINGS, OF BRANFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 THOMAS KENNEDY, OF NEW YORK CITY.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNOB-LATCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 185,752, dated December 26, 1876; application filed October 9,1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. JENNINGS, of Branford, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have in vented a new Improvement in Knob-Latches; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, an interior view of the latch portion of the lock; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the knob; and in Fig. 3, a modification of the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in knob-latches, the object being to avoid the use of knob-spindles, and is an improvement upon the invention granted to this applicant July 25, 1876, No. 180,239.

In that patent two fingers were necessaryone to act upon the latch when the knob is turned in one direction, and the other in the other.

By this invention one of the fingers is dispensed with; and the invention consists, principally, in a vertical lever pivoted in the latchcase, one arm of said lever mortised or slotted to receive the single finger from the knob, so that turning the knob in either direction will act within the said mortised arm to turn that arm accordingly, one arm of the lever acting upon the latch-bolt when turned in one direction, and the other arm acting upon the latch when turned in the other direction.

A represents the tail of a latch-bolt, attached to the end of a lever, B, the said lever hung upon a fulcrum, C. D F are the two arms of a lever hung upon a pivot, E. The lower arm F extends downward, and in its normal condition bears against the lever B, as at a, the upper arm D in like manner bearing against the lever B at b. The lower arm F is constructed with a mortise or slot, L, and the case constructed with a slot through its sides, so as to expose the said slot L. The

knob has attached to it a finger, P, as seen in Fig. 2, and so as to be rotated in either direction, according as the knob is turned. The knob is fixed upon the door, the finger P passing within the mortise L. Hence, when the knob is turned, the lever will be turned accordingly, either to the right or left, as the case may be,turning the lever B, and drawing the latch-bolt; but when free the usual spring will throw out the latch-bolt and draw the lever B and the knob-lever D F into their normal condition. A similar knob is arranged on both sides of the door, a single finger from each passing through the mortise L.

It is not essential that the lever B should be employed in connection with the knob-lever D F, because the same result will be obtained if the knob-lever be combined with the usual horseshoe, as seen in Fig. 3.

The knob-lever D F may be arranged eitherwith the mortise below, as described.

In order to lock the latch-bolt so that it cannot be turned by the knob, a lever, R S, is hung upon a pivot, d, the arm It extending through the face-plate T, so as to be easily raised, as indicated in broken lines. The other arm, S, is construc ed with a notch, e, and which, when the parts are in their normal condition, may be pressed down upon a projection,f, on the lever, as denoted in broken lines, thus positively locking the knob-turning mechanism.

The usual night-key is applied to draw the latch-bolt from the outside, or a finger-knob upon the inside. A suitable spring, V, retains the lever B S in either position, but so as to allow the free movement.

I claim- In combination with the latch-bolt, the knoblever D F, hung within the case, one arm mortised to receive the knob-finger, and the two arms of the said lever acting upon the latchbolt according to the direction in which the knob is turned, all substantially as described.

CHARLES S. JENNINGS.

as shown, or above,

Witnesses:

JOHN E. EARLE, CLARA BROUGHTON. 

